Crime News
The Daily Signal reports on crime news with analysis and commentary on policies, crime rates, and policing debates.
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- News
Sharyl Attkisson to Testify on ‘Free Press Issues’ at Attorney General Nomination Hearing
Former CBS reporter and Daily Signal senior independent contributor Sharyl Attkisson will testify at this week’s confirmation hearings for Loretta Lynch, who was nominated by President Obama to replace Eric Holder as U.S. Attorney General. Attkisson, who was invited to speak on a panel of witnesses by the Senate Judiciary Committee led by Chuck Grassley,…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
FBI Arrests Ohio Man for Plotting Attack on U.S. Capitol
The FBI has arrested an Ohio man for allegedly plotting an “ISIS-inspired” attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to ABC News. The FBI said agents arrested Christopher Lee Cornell, 20, in Ohio as he allegedly was taking the final steps toward traveling to the nation’s capital to carry out the plan. ABC reports that government…Josh Siegel -
- Opinion
Should You Be Jailed for Committing a Crime You Didn’t Know Was a Crime? New Ohio Law Tackles Issue.
Ohio recently enacted a new law to reform the way criminal statutes are written and interpreted in that state. That measure is a step in the right direction toward remedying the problem of overcriminalization. Senate Bill 361, sponsored by Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, passed with the overwhelming support of the Ohio General Assembly and was signed…John G. Malcolm -
- News
New Orleans Mayor Calls on State Taxpayers to Fix City’s Violent Crime
NEW ORLEANS — Violent crime is up 24 percent in New Orleans, and now Mayor Mitch Landrieu is calling on Louisiana taxpayers to send in more state troopers to patrol his city, essentially diverting important resources from other areas of the state. One might wonder why Landrieu, a Democrat, doesn’t use his own local police…Chris Butler -
- Opinion
Pennsylvania Grand Jury Recommends Criminal Charges Against State Attorney General
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that a statewide grand jury has recommended criminal charges be filed against Pennsylvania Attorney General (and voter ID opponent) Kathleen Kane for perjury and contempt of court over the leaking of secret grand jury information. Kane, a Democrat, had been in the news recently after a local grand jury convened…Hans von Spakovsky -
- News
‘An Attack on Free Speech’: 12 Dead in Terror Assault of French Satirical Newspaper
UPDATE: French police say two suspects in Wednesday's terrorist attack remain on the run. In a statement on its website, French national police ask for information on the whereabouts of suspects Cherif Kouachi and Said Kouachi—brothers in their early 30s—warning that both could be armed and dangerous. A third suspect, Hamyd Mourad, 18, surrendered to police. The suspects…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
6 Charts That Show How Quickly Big Stories and Scandals Fade From the Media
If you’re a politician embroiled in a scandal, the rapidly moving news cycle might be a blessing. A National Public Radio analysis of issues mentioned by reporters during daily White House press briefings found the media’s attention span for various scandals and stories often wanes after just a few weeks. In six charts, NPR shows…Melissa Quinn -
- News
4 Things You Need to Know About the Findings on the IRS Targeting Scandal
The nation’s tax chief decided not to tell Congress that the IRS was targeting conservative groups, an action that would have brought to light the misconduct before the 2012 election, according to a new report from a House oversight panel. The implication, critics say, is that his failure to act protected President Obama from facing…Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Why Do 80% of College Sexual Assaults Never Get Reported?
According to a recent Justice Department study, 80 percent of sexual assaults against college students are never reported. The report also found slightly higher rates of sexual assault among 18- to 24-year-old women who were not in college. Non-students were more likely to report the assaults but the vast majority of students and non-students said…Genevieve Wood -
- News
Police Soon May Have a Breathalyzer Test for Pot
Law enforcement officers already use breathalyzers as a preliminary test for blood-alcohol content. Soon, they might have a similar test to detect marijuana usage. Researchers at Washington State University are developing a breathalyzer for pot. According to FOX 8, the device “would be used by police in states that have already legalized the drug.” Even…Kate Scanlon -
- Opinion
This Police Department Seems to Think Law Enforcement Is a ‘Get Rich’ Scheme
The city of Sunrise is back in the headlines. Last year, city officials caught flack for luring criminals from around the country into the Florida community just to seize their cash and cars under civil forfeiture laws. Now, the city’s forfeiture program has earned it a rebuke from the federal government. In an audit of the…Jason Snead -
- News
White House, Justice Sought to Stop Attkisson’s Reporting on Fast and Furious Scandal, Emails Reveal
Newly released documents show the White House and Justice Department targeted investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson in hopes of thwarting her reporting for CBS News on the secretive government operation called Fast and Furious. In an email exchange, a press aide to Attorney General Eric Holder tells a spokesman for President Obama that Attkisson is “out of…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Congressman Seeks to End Program He Calls ‘More Dangerous’ Than IRS Scandal
Calling a secretive government operation to strangle politically out-of-favor businesses “more dangerous” than the IRS targeting scandal, a congressman with a background in banking is preparing to introduce legislation to kill the Obama administration initiative. “I believe this activity is probably more dangerous and more disastrous than that of the IRS scandal because this is running people…Kelsey Bolar -
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Homeland Security to Tell Local Cops When Immigrant Criminals Are Freed
The Department of Homeland Security is developing an automated system to alert state and local law enforcement when illegal immigrants with serious criminal records are released into their jurisdictions. Two members of Congress from Texas — Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, and Rep. Beto O’Rourke, a Democrat — described the plan in a letter sent…Josh Siegel -
- News
IRS Failure to Search Computers for ‘Missing’ Emails Intensifies Attorney General Nomination
A House oversight committee continues to seek emails related to the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of tea party and other conservative groups, “but there’s nobody in the Justice Department willing to work with us,” a congressman on the panel said yesterday. That impasse, along with related roadblocks in the Department of Justice’s investigation of the IRS…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
Expelled Journalist: ‘Popular Anti-Criminal Revolution’ in Ukraine Worries Russia
Russian authorities never threatened American journalist David Satter. For years, the Moscow correspondent for the London Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal wrote with impunity, regularly filing stories that would have cost his Russian colleagues dearly if they had written them. But last year, Satter’s luck ran out. On Christmas morning, following the instructions…Philip Wegmann -
- Opinion
Pastor Charged with Criminal Penalty for Feeding the Homeless
Should a 90-year-old pastor face sixty days in jail and a $500 fine for simply giving food to homeless people? The authorities in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. seem to think so. Arnold Abbott runs a non-profit charity called Love Thy Neighbor, Inc., which seeks to care for the homeless population in the Fort Lauderdale area. Abbott…Jordan Richardson -
- Opinion
Corruption Continues to Hurt Honduran Development
After 2009 socio-political turmoil caused by the constitutional crisis, Honduras has been slowly recovering and reintegrating into the international community. However, the deterioration of confidence in public institutions continues, posing a serious threat to the country’s future development. Over the past couple of months, Honduras has experienced several major corruption scandals. This past September, Hondurans…Lourdes Bautista -
- Opinion
Violent Crime in the US Has Declined Rapidly. What Happened?
From 2000 to 2012, the U.S. violent crime rate fell over 23 percent. Such an improvement in the social fabric would be cause enough for celebration. But the crime drop of the 2000s followed an even larger decline in the previous decade: 32 percent from 1993 to 2000. The 1990s crime drop (in both personal…Heather Mac Donald -
- Opinion
If a Republican Justice Department Did This, It Would Be Attacked as Borderline Racist
Attorney General Eric Holder has waged a litigation war against voter-ID laws as well as state efforts to reduce early-voting periods and eliminate same-day voter registration. These practical reforms, he huffs, are intended to suppress the votes of minorities. But the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice and a number of civil-rights groups against…Hans von Spakovsky